Tithing - God's Plan for Provision, Work in the Old Testament

God did/does have a plan to take care of the church. He ordained this plan long before the church even became a reality in the Garden of Eden. That plan has, as tithing, never changed since the beginning of time – Work.

Adam was immediately given work to do after his creation. He was to name the animals according to Genesis 2. After Adam and Eve birthed children, those children worked. Cain was a farmer, and Abel was an husbandman. Genesis records metal workers, music makers, builders, and artisans. They worked. After the flood, Noah and his sons spread throughout the world to “replenish.” They worked, and recorded history bares record of some of their inhabitants work in places like Ur, Mohenjo-Daro, and the Huango-Ho Civilization to name a few. Cities were built, animals were hunted, and the land was tamed. This all takes work and hard work at that. Great civilizations arose around some of these work
centers with cities such as Babylon, Nineveh, Persepolis, and Alexandria to name but a very few. Societies remained largely agricultural, but that does not mean fine artisans in stone, metal, and wood were not found, in fact they abounded. Rather complex buildings were erected such as the Pyramids, the Hanging Gardens, and the Great Wall, which took many years, much thought, and more man power to complete. Slaves were often used for many of these undertakings, but not all. They were not the organizers, engineers, and foremen. Slaves did work farms, but they did not own farms. Slaves were never merchants, bankers, lawyers, records keepers, nor civil workers in any ancient civilization. Therefore, there were many jobs available for many people. One job that all able bodied men were required to perform for a few months a year was being a soldier. As a soldier, however, much wealth was created – if he was not killed – from another’s destruction. Regardless, wealth was still earned in the most dangerous profession, warfare.

I am using non-scriptural examples to prove the point that both godly and ungodly alike knew that work was good and ordained by God – or the gods as the case was. Therefore, work is the way that God expects for mankind to continuously provide for his needs. Certainly there are instances where a Christian had his needs met miraculously, but those stories are exceptions to the rule, and not the rule. Witness what scripture does have to say concerning work and working –
God Worked as evidenced in Genesis 1, and stated in Genesis 2.

Genesis 2:2-3

2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his
work which he had made.

2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Man worked before the flood, and work was not the curse. The “ground” was cursed, which made work toil and labor. Certainly God’s work was not toilsome nor laborious, but sin did change that fact for mankind. Adam's work was easy! Cain and Abel’s work was hard as it has been ever since.

Genesis 5:29

5:29 And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.

Throughout the Pentateuch God records stories of Israel’s
work.

Egypt used work as a punishment and as a form of control. This is not how God intended work to be accomplished or used by mankind.

Exodus 5:4-19

5:4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.

5:5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.

5:6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

5:7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

5:8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

5:9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.

5:10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.

5:11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.

5:12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

5:13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.

5:14 And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?

5:15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?

5:16 There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.

5:17 But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.

5:18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.

5:19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.

God placed work into His Ten Commandments.

Exodus 20:9-11

20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Yes, the command is to keep the Sabbath day (not Sunday by the way) holy. Notice that there is another imperative in the passage, “Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:”. It could be rightly said, Thou shalt work! (cf. Exodus 23:12 and 31:14-15).

The remainder of Exodus details specific work that God directed the Jews to do as they built the Tabernacle.

By Exodus 32:16 it becomes evident what God’s work is – His Word. Compare to what He did at creation! Compare to Christ’s statements regarding those who followed Him in the Gospels and thereafter.

32:16 And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.

This next verse from Deuteronomy illuminates much about how God provides for His people.

2:7 For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.

The Israelites wandered through the wilderness, and had much work to do. During that time the Jews worked, and God provided their needs. This plan has not changed. Further scripture will illustrate this very point much more emphatically.

Too numerous are the passages detailing righteous work and unrighteous work in the Pentateuch alone. Moses sums up righteous work with a profound statement that foreshadows Christ’s perfect work centuries later.

32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

32:5 They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the
spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.
God does not honor all work, only work that honors Him. He cannot honor work that transgresses the Law. He cannot honor work that is against Him. He cannot honor those who work for their father the Devil (cf. John 8). Work is good, if it be done lawfully.

The rest of Jewish History until the captivity records much about work. For space sake I am going to summarize the more than 100 mentions of work from Joshua to Chronicles. The Jews worked and God blessed them if they followed His established Law found in the Books of Moses. God, however, punished Israel, because it did not follow God’s Law. Instead, Israel worked, or wrought, folly in God’s sight.

The same message holds true from Nehemiah to Malachi. Israel simply would not continue in God’s ordained work. Then came the New Testament, as was prophesied, Someone would come to guide Israel, and all the world, in God’s work – the Messiah Jesus Christ. Before I venture further into the New Testament, what did Solomon have to say about work?

Proverbs 18:9

18:9 He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.

God honors those who work. He does not honor laziness. He compares the slothful to a waster. Consider this wisdom in relation to welfare and socialistic societies. Those systems operate on the premise of helping out those in need. Granted there are certain situations that
people need help, but God never ordained the government to aid those people. History proves the axiom. A quick view in just the United States sphere reveals the sad, slothful cesspool of laziness that is perpetually growing as a result of government handouts. Why work when the government will provide all your needs and even wants for nothing – well, not really nothing. Other people are working hard to provide for the non-working class. This is the definition of great waste, as the United States is rapidly learning.

Proverbs 20:11

20:11 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

This says it all. You are known for what you do. A man who does not work is a dangerous person. He does not have an identity, and is liable to do any wickedness. He has no shame, because he does not care about anyone or anything. Those who work know the team aspect that comes with having a job. He feels like he is part of a group who is getting things done. He will have a greater value of life, property, and happiness. This can and does only come from work; laziness kills all of these moral issues. Crime is without any doubt higher in areas that have little or no work ethic, even an anti-Christ sociologist will have to concede this truth. Working class areas, though not perfect, annually produce cleaner and more crime free living environments than their welfare counterparts. Even a child has an identity based upon what he does, either for good or for evil. Even children have dreams of being something when they mature. It is undisciplined children, however, who become modern society’s burden. (More on this from II Thessalonians).

Proverbs 24:27
24:27 Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

All work should be planned. Without a planned goal, work will always languish. If one does not know where the finish line is, he will stop running long before the achievement is complete. Do not plan to dig a ditch just to fill in another ditch, and then dig another ditch to fill in the first ditch, only to re-dig that ditch etc… Sounds ridiculous? Well, this is one of the many projects that the government created under the infamous, or famous depending on your take, New Deal.

Another truth should be learned from this verse, one that the present (2011) world would do well to learn, that is work hard to earn a living and then buy what is needed. Do not rely on credit to buy much if at all, if you can help it.

One final note from Proverbs, women work also. Proverbs 31 has an incredible illustration of a working woman. She works with her hands to produce clothing and food. She also works to buy and sell. Her work earns praise of those in the city gates.

Solomon reveals more thoughts concerning work in Ecclesiastes. Some of those thoughts are spoken in an exaggerated manner as Solomon works toward proving his main point. Along the way God records one of the Bible’s greatest work definitions.

Ecclesiastes 9:10

9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

We are to do all work to the best of our ability. But, why? Are we to worship our work? Make it our life? No, because we will soon die. Then our work will be over. So, what’s the point? This pessimistic mindset serves as Solomon’s backdrop to prove the insanity of any endeavor apart from God’s will. Which Solomon’s point most certainly is, as he clearly stated in Ecclesiastes’ last two verses.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

This is why we should be working. Apart from this, work is vanity.

Jeremiah pronounces a woe judgment upon anyone who does not pay the worthy worman. A worthy workman who performed any task is to be paid. God views this as stealing ultimately and this judgment is warranted.

Jeremiah 22:13

22:13 Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth
his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work.

In the same vein, Jeremiah pronounces a curse upon those who “serve the Lord” but do so in a wicked manner. Certainly there are many of these workers who should be sobered by this verse in Jeremiah. This was most definitely the point that God was making to the Priests in Malachi who were serving the Lord deceitfully. Pastors who extract money through various unbiblical methods should also beware of this verse in Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 48:10

48:10 Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.

There are many other work references in the Old Testament. Above 500 to narrow it down a bit. Much of those references discuss evil works apart from God’s Law. There is a right way to work and a wrong way to work, but the main point is that God designed man to work. That is how God wants to supply man’s needs. He does not expect mankind to sit in front of an altar, sit in a pew, or stand waiting for provisions to just appear out of nowhere. He wants us to work. So, work, and then build your house with your own wages as need be. The New Testament is much more pointed concerning work, so I have separated this section into two chapters to illustrate how God wanted the church to provide for itself. By this point, surely, one can infer how God ordained for the church to take care of its needs, and it was/is not the tithe.